Police overreacted with 'Nerf war' charges: Our View

Nerf charges, Small Business Awards and new downtown bike racks in this week's editorial roundup

5:33 PM,
Apr. 25, 2014

Written by

Daily Herald Media Editorial Board

Wausau police overreacted when they decided to charge a group of six Wausau West High School students with disorderly conduct for a Nerf gun battle. Neither police nor the students are entirely blameless in the situation, but $240 citations for what was, after all, a harmless game is too strict a penalty. Police should reconsider, issue the teens a warning and drop those charges.

There are actually many ways that the situation could have been handled much worse. In fact, at each stage it's possible to both criticize and sympathize with the various actors.